Apparatus for mounting perforating implements



March 9 I R. L. WEISBECK 2, 76, 37

APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING PERFORATING IMPLEMENTS Filed March 28, 1957 INVENTOR. RALPH L. WE/SBEGK oa bm APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING PERFORATING IMPLEMENTS Ralph .L. Weisheck, Cheektowaga,

mesne assignments, to

N. Y., assignor, by George F. Wales, Kenmore,

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for perforating sheet metal and other sheet material. More particularly, the invention relates to mounting equipment for precisely positioning self-contained perforating devices, each having an aligned punch bit and die, between the ram and bed of a press.

Self-contained perforating implements have come into widespread use because they permit of punching a plurality of holes and/or of cutting a plurality of notches in a metal sheet simultaneously and in practically any desired relationship. These units comprise a manually transportable support, a punch, and a die mounted in axially aligned relation in the support. A plurality of these devices can be mounted between the .bed and the ram of a press, so that upon actuation of the ram, the workpiece is punched or notched in a plurality of places simultaneously.

"For large production jobs, where a number of similar operations areto be performed repetitively, a practice has developed of'using a fixed bed rail with a template seated therein to position the perforating devices relative to each other. Usually each self-contained perforating device is provided with a pilot pin which is coaxial with the aligned punch bit and die. By providing the template with apertures adapted to receive the pilot pins, with the apertures spaced in accordance with the desired spacing of the holes and/or notches to be cut in the work, the setup operation is considerably simplified. It is merely necessary for a mechanic to position the template on the bed of the press, and then to seat the pilot pins of the several perforating devices in the proper apertures.

'Proper longitudinal and transverse positioning of the self-contained punching devices is essential to a proper perforating operation. Where the product does not justify the expense of a template, some other means must be provided for positioning the perforating implements where a plurality of such implements are used simultaneously. The patent to George F. Wales, 2,319,568, issued May 18, 1943, discloses one means for positioning the self-contained perforating devices. According to that patent, a perforating device, such as a hole punch, is secured to a slide member which is adjustable along the length of an adapter. The adapter is mounted transversely of the bed rail. Adjustment of the punch longitudinally of the bed rail can be made by adjusting the position of the adapter on the bed rail. Adjustment of the ferrule may be moved upwardly and the adapter transverse to the bed rail is accomplished by movement of the slide member, which is secured in any adjusted position by a clamping screw. The pilot pin of the punchis seated within a prelocated aperture in the slide member. Adjustment in the position of the punch transverse to the bed rail can be made simply by loosening the clamping screw and then moving the slide member. In many cases, this was a satisfactory means for making the necessary adjustment. However, in some cases it was difiicult to maintain the -punching dey 2,876,837 Patented Mar. 10,1959

vice inits desired position while the clampingscrew was being tightened.

An object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable adapter with which precise positioning of the perforating implement transversely of the bed rail may be accomplished rapidly and easily.

Another object of the invention is to provide precise positioning means whereby a plurality of perforating implements may be precisely located between the ram and bed of a press brake, without the necessity for providing an expensive template.

Still another object of the invention is to provide \a novel adjustable adapter for use in connection witha bed rail on the bed of a press brake, Where the adapter may cooperate with a pilot pin or pin of the perforating devices to position the perforating devices relative to each other precisely and rapidly on the press, and in such a manner that deviations from the desired position, while securing the perforating implement to the adapter, are eliminated.

These and other objects of the invention are accomplished in a preferred embodiment of the invention by providing at least one adapter for each perforated device, each adapter being adapted to be clamped or otherwise secured on a bed rail of a press, in a desired precisely located position along the length of the bed rail. A selfcontained perforating device may be fixed relative to this novel adapter in a simple fashion at two points, so that the perforatingdevice is held against pivotal movements. The perforating device may be of conventional type, having an aligned punch bit and die, and coaxial there with, a pilot pin. The pin is adapted to seat in an aperture in the adapter, in snug engagement. A secure fastening of the perforating device to the adapter is obtained through the use of a screw fastener, preferably one passing through the base of the perforating device intoa threaded hole in the rear of the adapter. The aperture within which the pilot pin is seated desirably is a slot running the entire length of the adapter, whose guide walls closely embrace the pilot pin and prevent any free play lengthwise of the bed rail and press. At a'preselected and prelocated point along the slot, there is seated therein a ferrule, in the bore of which the pilot pin may be seated in snug engagement with no free play in any direction. Preferably, this ferrule is located in a recess or passageway of greater height than the ferrule, so that downwardly, so that in its upper position it is located so as to engage the pilot pin, and in its lower position it is entirely free of the slot, and preferably flush with the lower surface of the slot. The ferrule may be fixed in any adjusted position vertically by a set screw passing throughthe adapter wall and making contact with the cylindrical tube.

The invention may be'better understood by consideration of the following detailed description, in connection with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, in partial section, showing fragmentarily the base of a press, a bed rail mounted thereon, an adapter constructed according to one embodiment of this invention mounted on the 'bed rail, and a conventional self-contained perforating iniplem'ent'mounted on the adapter; I

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2.2 of Fig. '1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation and partial section of the assembly illustrated in Fig. 1, showing the perforating implementin a slightly different position on the adapter;

.Fig. 4 is asectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line6i6 ofFigfZ; Y

3 Fig.7 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 4; and 4 Fig. 8 is a sectional view/taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 5. For clarity of illustration, in the drawings a single perforating implement, a hole punch, has been shown. However, it will be appreciated that ordinarily a plurality of perforating implements are secured on a bed rail, in any convenient or desired arrangement, and of different sizes and shapes as desired. Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings, a conventional self-contained hole-punching device 11 may be supported on and secured to a novel type of adjustable adapter 12, which is clamped on a bed rail 13. The bed rail 13 is supported on a base 14, and may be positioned therein by a downwardly extending rib 15 seatedwithin a channel or key-way 16 between two upstanding portions of the base 14 of a press. The bed rail 13 has a generally trapezoidal or dovetail cross section, formed by upwardly and outwardly extending flanges and 20' respectively. The adapter 12 includes a clamping member 18 and a wedge member 22, which together, in assembled relation, have a complementary shape for embracing the dovetail bed rail 13 in snug but adjustable relation. Thus, a downwardly and inwardly directed flange 19 is adapted to embrace the complementary upwardly and outwardly extending flange 20 of the bed rail. The adapter is securely fastened on the bed rail 13 by the screw fastener 21 which extends through the wedge member 22 into a threaded recess 23 in the upper portion of the clamping member 18. When the screw fastener 21 is tightened, forcing the wedge member 22 upwardly against the upwardlyand outwardly extending flange 20' of the bed rail 13, the adapter 12 is tightened against the bed rail and is firmly clamped in position on it, so that longitudinal movement of the adapter along the length of the bed rail 13 is thereby prevented. Longitudinal adjustment of the adapter 12 on the bed rail 13 is accomplished simply by loosening rection transverse to the bed rail 13 is possible over a rein tively wide space. This is accomplished by providing the adapter with a pair of guide walls 32, 33 which define a slot 31 centrally disposed therein, and of substantially uniform cross-section over its entire length. Desirably, the guide walls 32 and 33 (Fig. 5) of the channel 31 are spaced apart only sufliciently to seat the pilot pin 17 therein, with no allowance for any free play. To provide a precisely prelocated specific seat within which the pilot pin 17 may be positioned and restrained from movement in all directions, a ferrule 34 may be seated in an enlarged recess 37 communicating with the slot 31 of the adapter, with the bore 35 of the ferrule 34 also providing the snug seat for the pilot pin 17. The bore 35 of the ferrule 34 is desirably disposed so that its axis is along the center line of the slot 31 of the adapter. For flexibility, the ferrule 34 is. desirably mounted within the adapter in the recess 37, and is secured at any desired elevation in that recess by a set screw 38, operable from the outer surface of the adapter. As is shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the ferrule 34 is restrained from upward movement by a pair of flanges 41 formed from the guide walls 32 and 33 bounding the channel 31 in the adapter. When it is desired to seat the pilot pin 17 of the punching device in the bore 35 of the ferrule, to utilize the preselected location of that ferrule in the adapter, it is merely necessary to raise the ferrule 34 to the uppermost limit of the recess 37 in the adapter, and to secure it in that position with the set screw 38. When greater'latitude is desired for positioning the punching device 11*-transverse ly on the bed of the press brake, the set screw 38 may be loosened, and the ferrule 34 will automatically, of its own 1 weight, drop down to a lower area of the recess 37, as

the screw fastener 21, moving the adapter along the bed rail, and then tightening the screw fastener again when the adapter is in the desired position. The punching device 11 shown has a conventional C-frame, including an upper part 24 and a base portion 25. The base portion 25 is slotted to receive at least one screw fastener 26 which passes therethrough into a threaded recess in the clamping member 18, to fasten the punching device 11 securely on the adapter 12. The punching device is also provided with a conventional type of pilot pin 17, which seats in an aperture in the adapter 12 and forms one point at which the punching device 11 is positioned on the adapter. When the pilot pin 17 is carefully located and seated in the corresponding aperture in the adapter 12, to be later described in greater detail, and when the screw fastener 26 has been tightly secured to the clamping member 18, the punching device 11 is firmly secured in place and will retain its position in normal usage.

For flexibility, the clamping member 18 of the adapter is desirably provided with a plurality of threaded recesses 27, within which the screw fastener 26 may seat. For example, in Fig. 1 the punching device 11 is shown to be positioned so that the screw fastener 26 is seated in the threaded recess 27, whereas in the position shown in Fig. 3, the entire punching device 11 has been moved rearwardly, and the screw fastener 26 is seated in the rear threaded recess 27'. Since the screw fastener 26 is restricted in its movements by the length of the slot 28 in the base 25 of the punching device, the plurality of recesses 27 and 27' in the clamping members 18 increases the range of positions over which the punching device 11 may be securely fastened to the adapter.

For a moderately large production job, it is desirable to have a specifically, precisely prelocated seat in the adapter for the pilot pin of the punching device. At the same time, it is usually desired that an adapter be adjust? able, so that adjustment of the punching device in a deillustrated in Fig. 4. It may be secured in that lower posi tion with the screw fastener 38, if desired.

As will be appreciated, the diameter of the bore 35 of the ferrule 34 corresponds to the width of the'slot 31 in the adapter, as closely as possible, so that in each case the longitudinal play of the pilot pin 17 is minimized.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, when the pilot pin isseated in the bore 35 in the ferrule 34, where the pilot pin 17 is coaxial with the punching bit, the punching bit will be located directly over the ferrule. Where greater latitude for transverse positioning is needed, as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4,5, and 7, the pilot pin 17 may be seated in the slot 31 in the adapter 12, with the ferrule 34 being dropped downwardly in its recess 37 so that it does not present an obstruction to the transverse movement of the pilot pin 17 during positioning. These alternate positions are shown more clearly on an enlarged scale in Figs. 6 and 7.

The axis of the ferrule 34 is precisely prelocated with respect to an end of the adapter 12. Thus, where a plurality of holes are to be punched in alignment, uniformly spaced from an edge of the work, advantageous use may be made of the precisely prelocated ferrules 34 in the adapters. The ferrules cooperate with the pilot pins to align the punch bits and dies of the punching devices in the desired arrangement. This is especially advantageous for short production runs, where the construction of a special template is not justified. For punching holes in staggered relation, the slots are employed. This permits location of the punching devices at any desired positions transverse of the rail bed and work. Alternatively, a combination of the use of the slots with the precisely prelocated ferrules is feasible.

There has thus been described a very simple yet desirable and efficient form of mounting equipment, including a novel adapter having features which enable the punching device 11 to be adjusted longitudinally and trans versely of the bed rail with great facility. In describing the invention, reference has been made to certain limited and specific features thereof, but it will be understood that many changes of a minor nature may be made in the novel adapter and accessory mounting equipment,

which are nevertheless within the scope and spirit of this invention.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Apparatus for adjustably mounting at least one self-cntained perforating device on the bed of a press brake, comprising, in combination, a bed rail adapted to be supported on and secured in a fixed position on said bed, at least one adapter securely but detachably fastened for longitudinal adjustment in position on said bed rail, positioning means for locating a punching device on said adapter, including a pilot pin fixed in said perforating device, a pair of guide walls defining a slot along the length of said adapter extending transversely of said bed rail and spaced to engage said pilot pin snugly, said adapter having an enlarged recess directly communica ing with said slot, a ferrule snugly mounted in said recess with the axis of the bore of said ferrule lying in the plane of the center line of said slot, and the bore of said ferrule being adapted to receive said pilot pin in snug engagement, and fastening means spaced from said pilot pin for firmly but detachably afiixing said perforating device to said adapter, whereby the perforating device is fixed to the adapter at two points, and is thereby positioned on the bed rail in rapidly demountable, readily adjustable fashion, the said ferrule providing for positioning of the perforating evice in a precisely prelocated specific position on said adapter, and the slot providing for positioning of the perforating device along the entire length of said adapter transversely of said bed rail.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said ferrule is axially slidably mounted within said recess, and including means in said adapter for affixing said ferrule at a desired elevation within said recess, whereby said ferrule may be elevated into a position of engagement with said pilot pin, and may be depressed out of said slot into the body of said adapter.

3. In an apparatus for mounting and positioning at least one perforating device on the bed of a press brake, including a bed rail adapted to be secured to and supported by said bed and having a substantially fiat upper face and a generally dovetail cross-section, an adapter for each perforating device mounted upon said bed rail having a cross-section complementary to that of the bed rail whereby said adapter snugly embraces said bed rail, means for detachably clamping said adapter to the bed rail whereby longitudinal adjustment of the adapter on "the bed rail is provided, and means for securing a perforating device on said adapter, the improved means for securing said perforating device on the adapter comprising a pilot pin fixed in said perforating device, a pair of guide walls defining a slot disposed along the length of said adapter extending transversely of said bed rail and spaced to engage said pilot pin snugly, said adapter having an enlarged recess directly communicating with said slot, a ferrule snugly mounted in said recess with the axis of the bore of said ferrule lying in the plane of the center line of said slot, the bore of said ferrule being adapted to receive said pilot pin in snug engagement, and fastening means spaced from said pilot pin for firmly but detachably aflixing said perforating device to said adapter, whereby the perforating device is fixed to the adapter at two points and is thereby positioned on the bed rail in rapidly demountable, readily adjustable fashion, the said ferrule providing for positioning of the perforating device in a precisely prelocated specific position on said adapter, and the slot providing for positioning of the perforating device transversely of said bed rail.

4. The improved securing means of claim 3 in which said ferrule is axially slidably mounted within said recess, and including means in said adapter for aifixing said ferrule at a desired elevation within said recess, whereby said ferrule may be elevated into a position of engagement with said pilot pin, and depressed out of said slot into the body of said adapter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,319,568 Wales May 18, 1943 

